This was a wonderfully created audio! I felt completely drawn into the story. Caitlin Kelly did an excellent job narrating!

I loved the characters in the story. The MC, Isda, is the secret that doesn't exist to the outside world. She hides in the underground of the opera house, and her pain was my pain. As secrets are revealed to her about her actual magical powers and the things that have been kept hidden from her, I was sad for her, angry with her, and ready to get revenge for her!

I loved that this was a retelling of Phantom, but it had it's own magical system and story that really made it stand out from the original. The world building was great. There was a good balance of backstory at just the right times, while still moving the story forward. This is a perfect read for you if you enjoy YA stories with a magical system and a strong female lead!

This much-anticipated book does not disappoint. I heard from one of Jessica Olson's personal acquaintances how incredibly lyrical her writing is, and it's no joke--it's like poetry on the page.

This book is at its heart a love story--a Phantom of the Opera gender-bent retelling--where the phantom is a young woman seriously disfigured, who only wants to be seen for who she truly is.

You WILL cry when you read this book.

While I was provided an e-copy of this by Netflix in exchange for an honest review, I will be purchasing a hardback copy for my personal collection!

This gender swapped Phantom of the Opera was amazing! I think it did have to find its way to start out but after a few chapters it found its footing and became an outstanding story. I loved the powerful message within its pages. This story will captivate and have you spellbound until the very end.

This book is so gorgeous! The writing is beautiful, and I was swept away into Isda's world. I loved this fresh take on Phantom - the magic system is very cool and well done. Isda is a compelling and sympathetic MC and I was completely immersed and invested in her journey. Readers looking for a lush, gothic read will definitely enjoy.

This story revolves around Isda & her magical ability to alter memories of those who sing in her presence. At first, she’s using this gift to ensure opera goers have a good memory of the show and this but more tickets...a harmless trick compared to what Cyril has planned.
Isda knows the difference from right and wrong, but Cyril is like a father to her, and he’d never steer her wrong......right?

——-
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for this free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Sing Me Forgotten was an okay story—nothing to really rave about. While reading, I figured out how the story would turn out before I got to chapter 10. I appreciate the love for music and the breakdown of how it made the main character, Isda, feel, but that's all I can say about my fascination. In reality, Isda got on my nerves midway through the story. Her actions and decision-making were very brash, and it always bit her in the ass.

I also would have loved to see more about these fendoirs and gravoirs. I think Olson did a good job explaining why gravoirs are considered the devil's spawn, but I think she missed the mark of fully building them into the story. In the entire book, I only saw 3 of these species mentioned. Having them equipped probably could have helped the world building's narrative a little better.

I never knew I needed a gender-swapped retelling of The Phantom of the Opera, but I am definitely glad I got this one! I devoured this book in one day- it was so easy to fall into the interesting and gripping story of Isda, the Opera Ghost. I love The Phantom of the Opera, so this reimagining captivated me with its clever twist on the story. The world of fendoirs and gravoirs was both fascinating and heartbreaking. With powers to access people’s memories by song, the world shuns and fears them, dooming them to either a solitary existence or death. Isda was saved from her horrible fate by Cyril, and now finds her sanctuary living in the crypt of the opera house and secretly manipulating audiences with her powers. The magic of accessing someone’s memories and life experiences through song was a beautiful and creative concept and Isda was a delightfully complex, and sometimes morally gray, character. As someone who spent her entire existence in the company of one other person, experiencing life through other people’s memories, she had a unique view of the world, and watching her finally get to discover it for herself was engrossing. The relationship between Isda and Emeric was full of great banter and moments that I loved, but it almost felt too comfortable too soon and I would have liked to get to see Isda figure out how to have a relationship with another human being after being isolated for so long. Despite that, they had a lovely connection and I loved the change he brought to her world. The plot was fast-paced, romantic, dramatic, and violent, and it never felt rushed. Every moment was fully fleshed out and was important to continue the story. This book sucked me in quickly and didn’t let go until the last page.

Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olson, 336 pages. Inkyard Press, 2021. $20.
Language: PG (7 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: MS - OPTIONAL, HS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Seventeen-year-old Isda lives in the shadows because she has to, but she also thrives in the background of the opera house she calls home. If she steps into the spotlight she longs for, Isda’s magical abilities would become known and execution would soon follow. However, her music and the only father she has ever known is too small of a world for Isda once she hears Emeric sing. Expanding her world to include this stranger is a risk, but Isda is willing to take it.
As is common in books, readers drop into the story moments before a catalyst for change appears in Isda’s world and she chooses to invite that change into her life. With Isda still discovering the directions her new choices can take her, her character felt erratic. Isda was warring with herself, which made her character seem inconsistent and hard for me to connect with. Once Isda embraced her change, I had an easier time enjoying the story through to its amazing end. The way Olson chose to end the story is one of my top three favorite things about Sing Me Forgotten, with another being how the magic is tied up in music. Music is powerful and vulnerable, and I love how Olson has taken the real enchantment of music and broadened it for Isda’s story. The violence rating is for blood, gun use, and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Jessica Olsen has a really beautiful, lush writing style and her prose are flawless. Her characters create depth and emotion that will carry you through the story. If you loved the Phantom of the Opera, and love fantasy and retellings, this story will grab you.

Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olson was such a pleasant surprise. To say the least, I was intrigued the moment I heard it described as a gender switched YA fantasy retelling of The Phantom of the Opera and for the most part it really worked for me. Olson's writing style is lush and atmospheric. It's easy to fall for the characters and the musical/ memory magic system of the gravoirs. The first half of the novel are quite engaging which kept me hanging on to every word, but it does drag a little in the third quarter, but you've got that outstanding yet terribly brutal finale too. I really wanted to know more about the wider world of the novel since the story is mostly confined to the opera house. I've got to say though that the author does a marvelous job of recreating the tone of the original story, especially when it comes to Isda as the Phantom. Overall, Jessica S. Olson's Sing Me Forgotten is an impressive debut novel that's well worth your time if you're looking for an atmospheric YA retelling or if you're a fan of The Phantom of the Opera. I'm definitely looking forward to Olson's next release A Forgery of Roses due out in 2022 which is supposed to be a YA fantasy Stalking Jack the Ripper meets The Picture of Dorian Gray.

I absolutely love Phantom of the Opera and all adjacent media (the musical, Love Never Dies, the book, film adaptations, etc) so I was really looking forward to this one! It absolutely did not let me down. Isda's story is beautiful and tragic and Olson perfectly captured the feeling of being on the fringe. I'd definitely recommend this book to all other Phantom lovers out there.

Once I heard that this book was a Phantom of the Opera retelling, I was immediately intrigued. We definitely see the resemblance to the original story but it is also very much it's own story with an interesting magic system. The system was easy to follow however there were a few scenes that confused me with the specifics of it. The beginning of the book started off a bit slow but the last quarter definitely had a lot of action. I was interested in Isda and her life but at many points I didn't understand her decision making. I also enjoyed the love interest Emeric and wished we got to see more of him as it felt as their relationship was a little rushed. There were some avenues in the plot that I would have loved to explore more. I enjoyed the writing and found many quotes that I really loved. Such as "I am the Channe Opera House Ghost. Bearer of nightmares. And just as worthy to walk under an open sky as anyone else." What I most enjoyed was the atmosphere of the old opera house and the catacombs, it felt just like when I was watching the movie!

Overall it was a very unique take on Phantom of the Opera. I gave this book 3.5/5 Stars.

This is a fantastically unique fantasy surrounding singing, music, memories, an ugly/mangled protagonist, and an adorable friends to lovers relationship. The protagonist has flaws and I think that is my favourite thing about Ista. She has moments that she gives in to her anger, to her wants as opposed to what she knows will keep her safe. She is very realistic and not the typical "not like other girls" protagonist in my opinion. The magic system is fascinating and I enjoy that we learn more with the protagonist. I do think her learning of her history was slightly poorly done given that she just reads books about it, and it is basically an info dump but all in all this was fantastic!

Isda was never meant to survive past infanthood. Tossed down a well at birth for possessing the forbidden magical ability to manipulate memories while people sing, Isda was spared the owner of an opera house. Ever since, she has haunted the theatre’s halls, using her powers to keep ticket sales high in secret. But, when a charming boy named Emeric stumbles into her life, Isda finds herself breaking the very rules that have protected her for so many years. In Emeric, Isda sees a different future, one where she is free from her caged-in life. If she wants to claim this different path, though, Isda will have to become the very monster the world assumed her to be from the start.

My Recommendation-
Die-hard theatre fans absolutely need to read this magical gender-bent retelling of The Phantom of the Opera! This book would be a fantastic pick for fans of Caraval and other theatre-inspired fantasy novels!

Phantom of the Opera phans, rejoice–this is the gender-swapped Phantom retelling we’ve all been waiting for. Dark, luscious, and full of twisted magic, this story offers a fresh twist on the musical (and novel) you know and love. It takes out the love triangle, adds in a magic system rooted in the buying and selling of memory, and doesn’t shy away from the tricky blend of monstrousness and humanity that is the Opera Ghost. In other words, it tells a new tale while maintaining the best parts of the original. The end result is magical–music to my ears, if you’ll pardon the pun.

With all the fairytale retellings we’ve been getting in recent years, I have to say, it was really nice to read a retelling of something a little different–a Gothic classic and stage musical. (Side note: are musical retellings coming into vogue now? After how much I loved Only Mostly Devastated last year, a queer contemporary Grease retelling, my inner theater-kid would be thrilled to see this trend continue.) But I digress–on to this book!

The Phantom of the Opera–the person, not the story–is a complex character. Even as he is overly romanticized in the stage production, he is a truly morally gray character. He wants to be loved, but his life of hiding and being hated by the world makes him cause some truly monstrous results. He kills people. In the book, he tortures people. And people still love and sympathize with him.

In writing this story, the author did not shy away from that element. Her anti-heroine, too, is so desperate for love and freedom that she will do whatever it takes to get there. Whether that means falsifying people’s memories, driving people mad, or outright murder, she overcomes her moral qualms with a rationale of the ends justifying the means; a lifetime without any real human contact has skewed her moral compass in a slightly-off-course direction. Yet, even with her questionable choices, readers can’t help but sympathize with her underlying humanity. Morally gray women are not very common in fiction, because let’s face it–the world still likes to harbor this dichotomy of women who being either saints or villains, with very little in between. This story is one of the slowly-growing legion of books breaking that mold, and I love it for that.

The magic system in this world was also interesting. The concept of an economy based on buying and selling memories can be tricky to execute–the ethical implications, especially with regard to power imbalances that affect the lower class, have the potential to become very messy, but this story managed to at least touch on those themes. And the dichotomy of fendoirs and gravoirs–those who can extract memory elixir and those who can manipulate memories, both of whom are born with disfigured faces–was a nice touch. That said, there were some elements of the worldbuilding that were a little fuzzy for me. I don’t want to delve into spoiler territory too much, but a certain group of people was mentioned several times, but never with clear answers on what they really did.

Now, the question everyone asks: how was the romance? It was sweet. It bordered on insta-love a bit, but in the context of Isda’s character, isolated and without any real friends, that isn’t too surprising and is at least consistent with her character. Emeric is an earnest and kindhearted boy, in stark contrast to Isda’s brooding, with a fondness for making caramels and a general inquisitiveness. Though the conversations between Isda and Emeric felt rather stilted at times, the way they cared about each other was still evident. (For folks who like steaminess, there isn’t much beyond kissing/making out, just so you know.) And the ending? Oh boy, lots of feelings. I figured out where it was going relatively early, but it still hit pretty hard when I got there.

A note on the language: Olson renders the story in lovely prose with a flair for the dramatic. She weaves music-related language throughout the narration, heightening the general artistic atmosphere that pervades the book. As a singer and theory geek, there were a couple times where the terminology was used inaccurately–contrasting notes as being staccato and largo, for example (one is an articulation, the other is a tempo; perhaps she meant “legato” for the second one?), or referring to something as being a sonata and a serenade (a sonata is a purely instrumental piece, but all the other terms she used in the passage were for sung music). This is obviously super nit-picky, and most people don’t care, but still irked me a little. The words were pretty, but form taking priority over substance is…not ideal.

Finally, if you’re a huge fan of the musical like I am, you’ll also delight in how many small references to the show the author works into the story. (If you’re not, you can probably skip this bulleted list because it won’t mean much to you.) Among others:

- A nursery rhyme Isda used to love, about a girl named Charlotte (loosely referencing “Little Lotte”)
- A certain councilman named LeRoux (a nod to the author of the original novel)
- A scene inspired by “Music of the Night”
- A masquerade ball (reference is self-explanatory)
- A line where a character refers to Isda as an “angel of music”
- A brief mention of a book by someone named Andre Forbin (I can’t be sure, but it immediately made me think of Andre and Firmin, the bumbling managers of the opera house in the show)
- Of course, a chandelier drop (because let’s be real, you can’t have a Phantom story without that!)

In short: despite a few stumbling blocks, this is a memorable story full of music and moral ambiguity. Recommended for anyone who likes their YA fantasy to skew a little to the dark side, fans of Phantom of the Opera, and anyone who wants to see a badass girl burn the world to the ground in order to earn her place in the world.

Very Phantom of the Opera meets the Hunchback of Notre Dame. It's definitely a creative story where memory is viewed as literal liquid gold. It is very easy to identify with Isda, the main character, and how she spends most of her life hiding in the shadows. The longing is very Ariel in the Little Mermaid wanting to be "part of that world". In this case, that world is the opera music scene. The story was okay and towards the end the action really picks up, but I'm not sure if this was the book for me.

Sing Me Forgotten is a masterpiece full of heart and emotion. The writing flows almost as beautifully as the music within it, and the characters come straight to life from the beginning of the book.

I actually wasn’t sold on Emeric at first, but once he started sticking up for himself with Isda, I completely warmed up to him. He’s such a sweet, earnest character that you can’t help but fall in love with him. I also would pay big money to hear him sing. And don’t get me started on the caramels. I don’t even like caramel, but I would be begging him for some.

The writing for Isda in this was so superb. The more she started realizing what she is and what she can do, the more I rooted for her. It didn’t matter what she did or who she hurt to get what she wanted, I was all the way Team Isda. I also enjoy when you figure out information and have to wait for the characters to get to the same level of understanding. The relief toward the end when Isda finally understood was so satisfying.

The ending of Sing Me Forgotten solidified it as a 5 star read. I was leaning toward a 4.5 rating because something about it felt like it was missing something, but my sobbing at the end was enough to make me fall completely in love with this story. It emotionally destroyed me. Every time I would stop crying and would read the next line, I would start crying again. I want the last scene tattooed under my eyelids. I want to see it at all times and breathe in it’s sadness. I also want to reread that part again, but I know I’m not strong enough yet.

Overall, Sing Me Forgotten is a stunning debut that I would highly recommend if you love books centered on music, discovering who the real monsters are, and writing that makes you feel everything.

A dynamic story of love imbued with the power of music. A beautiful harmony of love and pain with dangerous crescendos of suspense and sacrifice.

<i> “Destruction is a music all its own. One composed of drumbeats and a percussion of passion and pain.” </i>

Isda, trapped in a life of isolation as a disfigured, hunted gravoir. Emeric, alone on a quest to find his captured gravoir sister. Their paths cross in the halls of the opera house and their bond is forged through their music. But can their love survive the dangers of gravoir life or will the power Isda finds within herself keep them apart?

<i> “If you aren’t in control of your emotions, you aren’t in control of anything.” </i>

[Apparently this is a rendition of Phantom of the Opera- which I have never read/watched and therefore will make no comparison to]

The setting of this story has a dark, French, gothic vibe- Isda lives in a crypt under the opera house in a street lit with gaslights, stone streets trod by horses and carriages. The currency is elixir- the golden liquid responsible for storing the memories in one's mind (and is the artwork of this book cover). Elixir can only be extracted or tapped into while someone is singing. Fendoirs and gravoirs are the "villains" in this world- their faces disfigured from birth, they have the power to extract elixir and tamper with memories and thus are considered dangerous to society-- extract enough elixir and one can forget they have children, forget how to function, or be drained of life. Gravoirs have wreaked havoc before and they could do it again if given the chance.

<i> “Because they fear us. Because we are powerful. Because we are meant to be their masters.” </i>

Isda's storyline is one of a deep desire to be free. To experience life outside her prison of isolation. Emeric's storyline is one of courage and determination to rescue his sister and only surviving family member. Emeric's memories, which Isda can access with her powers offers her the answer to freedom. Unbeknownst to Isda, she may be the key to finding Emeric's sister. What starts out as a mutual, yet separate clandestine partnership turns into the truest bond either of them have ever known.

I loved their story. I loved their characters. I loved their flirty banter. I don't read very many romance novels, and usually YA love feels either shallow or over-the-top, but this one where I thought: "I just love them!" and it really drew me in. They needed each other in the perfect way and they were destined to be together. And then they face intense adversity and have to make really hard choices. And you turn the pages faster and faster because you just want to see them be okay and ride off into the sunset singing their beautiful duet.

And I won't tell you if they do or not.

I thought Olson did a phenomenal job writing this story, captivating the readers, and bringing her characters to life. Things I thought would be plot holes (except for one I'll put at the end) she acknowledges later in a way that makes sense. I love the connections between music, memories, power, and life. She truly created a magical story.

This was a spellbinding and heart-wrenching book. With love, danger, suspense, and just enough fantasy to keep it innovative, I highly recommend you read it.

<i> “Midnight comes to life, my darling, To guard our memories... So meet me in the darkness, darling, Where past and present meet.” </i>

[Side note: Most of my questions were answered, but my biggest question is this: If Cyril kept Isda hidden away since birth, how did he take care of her as a baby and toddler?? He couldn't just leave her in there by herself all night every night. That's a pretty big investment for the first several years to raise a non-traumatized isolated little individual. It really doesn't matter with this book but as a mother of 4 I can't stop imagining how that would have worked! Jessica Olson: please explain!]

It’s a darkly glittering tale of music and hope in dark places, of what really makes a monster and how no one deserves to be hidden away in shame for who they are. Isda and Emeric deserve all the caramels as they sing together and I loved their relationship and banter! However I wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea that all disfigured and disabled people were not only seen as evil but they naturally craved being evil.

Stolen memories, warped magic, and masquerades — it has it all.

This is reminiscent of the phantom of the opera. This time it is a female. The story is a magical tale of the gold elixir, singing and going into the memories of the singers. All of this magic is used to make the opera successful and draw more ticket sales. Eventually, things go awry and the monster is unleashed. I like this retelling. It is different and original. 3.5⭐

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.